Questioning Chance, Happiness, and Choices

 

“Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark.”

-- Bryce Courtenay

If you had a 100% chance to save just yourself from an emergency situation, but a 50% chance to save yourself AND someone else, which would you choose? (Please respect answers because this is hypothetical and no judgment should be applied).

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” -- John 15:13

I gave almost 23 years of my life to the military. A 50% chance is being generous for those of us who have served.

As ordinary workers, should we be happy because so many managers resign?

As “ordinary workers” are you capable of really managing? I’m not so sure I’d be happy taking up the slack of doing reports, scheduling, meeting quotas, and timelines, attending meetings with the higher-ups, fielding complaints, and also doing my “ordinary” work. Just saying.

Do you mind sharing a quote or a song you read/listen to when you are going through a tough situation?

“This, too, shall pass.” Unfortunately, most things pass like a large kidney stone.

“I always liked the unknown. Ironically I familiarized myself with the uncertainty of life. Life can change in any minute of the day. God can turn anything around in a speck of a moment. I know for a fact that everything changes. Nothing stays the same. This too shall pass.”

-- Happy Positivity

How does one keep hoping that tomorrow is in existence?

Understand that, whether you hope or not, tomorrow will be with us. Better to strive to be happy always and in all things, than to worry about that over which you have no control.

How can I make smart choices?

The original question: “How can you make good choices?”

My original answer: Don’t make bad choices.

Smart choices? Well, since there really are no “smart” bad choices, you probably won’t know how smart the good choices are until you make them and see what happens. Having said this, try taking some time to think before you choose. Choosing as a “kneejerk” reaction is like gambling.

What is the way forward to success?

Knowledge, hard work, perseverance, and, most of all, constant happiness.

“Sometimes life knocks you on your ass... get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.”

-- Steve Maraboli

What’s the point in trying to be happy when bad things always happen to take away the happiness?

When bad things happen is the exact time you need to be happy. If we aren’t happy always, what is the point? If people are causing bad in your life, your constant happiness will just aggravate them, and how great is that? If bad things are happening because of the choices you make, stop making bad choices, and recognize that letting other people ruin your life is still your choice.

When you wake up every morning, this is another gift of a new day in which you can try to excel. If you fail, tomorrow will be another gift, as will the next day, and the next. What you do with these gifts is the real question.

Wake up happy, and don’t let anyone or anything drag you down. Rise above them and strive to be happy always and in all things.

How can I make myself dedicated?

I like the original question, “How do you dedicate yourself to life?” Well, the answer to this question is - to live.

How do you make yourself dedicated? Let’s look at the definition for this: “Devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.”

So, you have to devote yourself with single-minded loyalty or integrity. Basically, this means you devote yourself, heart and soul, to a task or purpose, and you let nothing deter you from it. 

Is a degree equal to the ability to discover the truth?

What? No! The truth usually is staring you right in the face, so you don’t have to be intelligent in order to see it, you just have to be smart enough to recognize it. If you can’t logically discover the truth, then learning logic and how to investigate will probably help to no end, however.

My girlfriend watches crime dramas on the TV, and the cops arrest the perpetrator thirty minutes before the show ends, nine times out of ten they have the wrong person, and I state that fact. This isn’t rocket science, it’s good sense and/or good marketing. Thirty more minutes alow for many more commercial breaks. My money is usually on the guest star.

"The greatest obstacle to discovering the truth is being convinced that you already know it."

-- Ashleigh Brilliant

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."?

Pretty much, right on the money. Righteousness isn’t that hard, it just isn’t that much fun, either.

Why do some people not commit to their passions?

Passions are supposed to be fun. The moment you commit to them, however, it becomes more like work.

Why do I fail or not do well when I try hard but not when I don’t take it seriously?

You’re one of those people who tries too hard. You can’t see the forest because you’re too busy looking at all of the trees.

You’ve answered your own question. Stop trying so hard and taking everything so seriously. See how this works out for you.

“I love mistakes. It shows you were trying.”

-- Sophia Braun

Can it be said that a person who settles in life can end up drowning in mediocrity?

Sounds right, to me.

Is there really anything better than sports?

Sex with a beautiful woman?

What did it take you to realize that nothing really matters? What helped you to liberate yourself from concerns about society, status, family, wealth, health, and God?

I realized that I really matter. When I realized this, I also realized that those things I didn’t want to be liberated from also mattered, like society, family, friends, health, and a sense of supreme power in the universe. What I was happily liberated from was wealth and status, which mean so little to my sense of true happiness.

“The biggest lie we fall for is that it doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter. Your choices don’t matter. Your influence doesn’t matter. Your existence doesn’t matter. You don’t matter. It is the worst, most destructive lie we ever believe, and in consequence, it wreaks extensive damage to more lives than your own. Don’t fall for that evil lie. Don’t forget that everything about you absolutely does matter.”

-- Richelle E. Goodrich

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com